Articulator for artificial dentures



0a; 16, 192& 1,687,864

D. S. HILL I I ARTICULATOR FOR ARTIFICIAL DENTURES Filed .Oct. 5, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 a; jwfwi Oct. 16, 1928 1,687,864

D. S. HILL ARTICULATOR FOR ARTIFICIAL DEN'IURES Filed Oct. 5, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Get. 16, 1928.

-13. STANLEY HILL, onnrrmenmvh'rtnmors;

Amiwmmmbia Ammmm nE TonEs.

hiifilication filed o etober 3, 1525. Serial No 666.21?? i This impish-( 11 relates to artifi ial deii'tuis" and has particularreterence to improvements in an articulator toruse in connection with preparing and properly positioning the teeth in the plates. 7 I one of the obj eet-s of the present invention is to provide an improved form o f artioulatoif by means of whichthe proper articulation of s the teeth can be more effieiently and accurate- 1y accomplished. e v

A still f rther objectof the invention ist'o' rovide an improved deviee'whi'ch wlll not only facilitate the dentisds work in connection with preparing artificial. dentures but will also obviate the necessi ty of making re peated fittings ofth'e bite plates on the patient. A still further" object-of the invention is to provide an improved adjustable articulatcr by means ofwhich the occlus'n path may he changed so as to Vary the height of the bite of the artificial-dentures; I v A still further object of the invention isto provide an improved adjustable arti culatoi" by means of which longer or shorter teeth may be used onmodels without the necessity 2 proye'ment embodied therei E I Rig. 2 is a front elevatlonal View of articulator shown 1n F 1g. I showing the oosiand showing the manner in which the teeth are articulated."

Fig. 3 is a side elyational' View of my proved articulator showing the manner in to thep'osition shown in dotted lines.

Fig. A is a rear elevat onal View of my 1111- ro'ved articulator showing the ,means for base.

Referring male drawingsjiFig. 1 is tap. plan View loffa'n articulator showing my 31m tion of the inoldsjor models in dotted lines.

which the upper bow may be swung upwardly adjustingthe u'pper frame with respect to the Fig. 5 a cros s sectiona'l iew of the securin'g means taken on the lines 5 5 in Fig.4. J igi 6 isa cross sectional View taken on the lines 6- 6 in Fig.3,iand 1 t I V Fig. 7 is g' cross sectional view of the justing' means taken on'the' line 7 ,7 inFig-i.

'For the purpose of illustration I have shown my improved form of articulat'o'r com prising a main, base member 1O havingiup wardly and Vertically extending guiding members 11 formed integrally therewith and positionedlon" the opposite sides thereof. Located centrally of the main base "Ineinber 10 and formed integrall "therewith is a post 12 having a threaded ore 13 for the purpose hereinafterstforth. Positioned on the opposite sides" of the post 12 and formed integrally with the base member 10} are socket portions 14 which areada'pted to receive the mold supporting member or bow 1,5,.therei1; bymeans of clamping members 16.: The mold supporting member 15 comprisestwoconverging arms 17 havingjan inclinedplate; "18, formed integrally with these arms as clearly shown in Fig.1; "Adjustably motin't ed on the basemenih'r 1O isia frame 19 which [extends parallel to the base. '10 and has formed on its outer sides thereof downwardly ex tendinggslid'e or guide members 20.whioli are! adjustably connected to the Vertically extending guiding .menibers 11. of .the'base 10 Qthe f manfier hereinafter described. Formed integrally iivi'th the frame member 1 9] and intermediate'f th. ends' thereof is downwardly projecting portion-21 having a recess '22 extending longitudinally. ther throug'h. Adjacent one side of the' rece s" 22] and extending rearwardly therefrom. is'an V e rza; Se cured'mithe em 23 by means of a? clamping member 24 and ascrew 25 isa flat spring 26. The: flat spring 26 is curved around atits upperend in a manner to en} gage the upper suria'c fof, a pivoted frame or bow" .s'uppo'rting member 2721s clearly shown in Figs-1,2 and 4'. .The' frame 27 secured on its outer ends thereof adjustable. V

28. The lower ends of the pins 281 are] pivotally mounted in V concave sockets I 29 formed in the ou'ter ends of the adjustable frame 19 adj ii'oent the guiding members. 201 Formed on the ou'ter end s of the piyoted frame} and forwardly of the adjustable pins 28 are inverted concavebear'ing portions which are adapted toslid'ably engage adjustablei-pius- 3'1 seou lied in the' adjustable frame 19. From the above description it will be seen that as the pivoted frame is swung from the full line position shown in Fig. 3 to the dotted line position, the frame is swung about the lower ends of the pins 28 in the concavity 29 of the frame 19 as its pivot and that in the event the frame 27 is swung laterally the inverted concavity 30 of the frame 27, slidably engages the tops of the adjustable pins 31. The curved portion of the spring 26 which frictionally engages the central upper surface of the frame 27 normally retains the frame in its operative position and thereby prevents disengagement of the frame 27 from the adjustable frame 19. De-

tachably secured in sockets 32 of the pivoted frame 27 by means of clamping screws 33 is an upper mold supporting member or bow 34. The mold supporting member or bow comprises two oppositely converging arms 35. Formed integrally with and on the free ends of the arms 35 is a downwardly extendtudinally extending bore 37 mounted in the bore by means of a thumb screw 38 is a normally vertical post 39. The post 39 is provided with a series of graduations 40 adjacent the boss 36 which are preferably millimeters. Intermediate the ends of the posts 39 is an annular groove 41. The groove 41'normally locates the pointer 42 in the occlusal plane by means of a thumb screw 43 which extends through the rear of the pointer and engages the groove. On both sides of the pointer I have provided a plurality of graduations 44 on the post 39 which are preferably millimeters. The free or lower end of the post 39 is adapted to engage and contact with the inclined plate 18 of the lower bow 15.

The essential feature of my improved articulator is in the provision of means for adjusting the bite by means of which the upper mold supporting member may be ad justed with respect to the base. This mechanism comprises the hereinbefore described guiding members 11 and 20 of the base 10 and frame 19, respectively. The guiding members 11 are adapted to be slidably connected in a groove 45 extending longitudi with the guiding members 11. This locking action is secured by having the threaded por- 'tion of the thumb screws engage in the threaded aperture 48 of the guiding member 1.]. and with washers 49 contacting the outer .Fig. 7. 'ing boss 36 which is provided with a longi- Adjustably surfaces of the guiding members 20 in'such a manner that the bevel surfaces 46 of the guiding members 20 are clamped between the washers 49 and the guiding members 11. -The guiding members .11 and 20 of the base tions on the post 39. The means for adjusta ing the frame 19 comprise a thumb screw 52 having its lower end threadedasshown at 53 and in threaded engagement with the bore 13 of the post 12. The upper end of the thumb screw 52 extends into a bore 54 formed in a boss 55 of the adjustable frame'19. The thumb screw 52 is rotatably secured in the boss 55 by a set screw 56 which engages an annular groove 57 formed in the upper end of the thumb screw 52, as clearly shown in From the above description, it will be seen that asthethumb screw 52isadjustedthe frame 19 will be accordingly adjusted with respect to the base and that whenthe proper adjustment has been attained the thumb screws '47 areadjusted so as to lock the guiding members 11 and 20 of thebase member 10 and the adjustable frame 19, respectively, against relative movement. 7

I have shown and described a single form of guiding membersby means of whichthe adjustable frame is guided in its adjustment with respect'to the base,"but it will,'of course, be understood that various other forms of guiding members,'such for instance, as telescoping members or the like, may be employed and still be within the spiritof my in- Vent-ion and that also various other forms or means for adjusting the adjustable [frame with respect to the'base may be employed and still'bewithin'contemplation of my invention. i

In the operation of the above articulator, it will be understood that when it is desired to raise the bite, for example twoimillimeters, the thumb screws 47 are loosened and the thumb screw, 52 adjusted until a variation of two. millimeters in the graduations 50 and 51 of the guiding members 11 and 20 respectively, is attained, then a corresponding adjustment of two millimeters on the post 39 is made. This is done by loosening the thumb screw. 38 and lowering the post two millimeters as shown by the graduation 40 adjacent the boss 36. Then in order to locate the occlusal'p'lane the pointer is raised one millimeter onthe graduation 44 of the post 39. It will of course be understood that if it is desired to lower the bite theoper'ation is just reversed. This adjustment obviates the necessity of removing the models when longer teeth are used by merely adjusting the bite to correspond with the length of the teeth.

' secure by Letters Patent is:

On the other hand, if the space is too great between the teeth the bite may be lowered and thereby also obviate the necessity of removing the models or molds from the bows. V

In order that the adjustable parts may be readily returned to their normal positions I have provided zero graduations on the post 39 as well as on each of the guiding members 11 and of the base 10 and frame 19, respectively; r

From the above description, it will be seen that I have provided a very simple and efli cient form of articulator and one in which the proper articulation is readily and accurately accomplished through the means of my im proved adjustable construction.

Vihile in the above specification I have de-.

scribed one embodiment which my invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that the sameis capable of modification and that modification may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my in: vention as expressed in the following claims.

WVhat I claim as my invention and desire to 1. An articulator comprising a base, a mold supporting member secured thereto, a frame mounted for vertical adjustment on said base, a second mold supporting member pivoted to said frame, corresponding graduations carried by said base and frame, a post carried by said frame having graduations corresponding to those on said frame and base whereby said frame and post may be adjusted to raise or lower the plane of the bite, and means for securing said frame against movement with respect to said base.

2. An articulator' for artificial dentures comprising a base, a mold supporting member secured thereto, a frame adjustably supported by said base having a mold supporting name to this specification on this fifteenth member secured thereto, a post adjustably secured to said last mentioned mold supporting member and engageable with the mold supporting member on said base, means for adjusting said adjustable frame and said post whereby one of said mold supporting framesv may be adjusted bodily with respect to the other, graduations on the sides of said base and frame respectively for ascertaining the movement of said frame with'respect to said base, and graduations of like dimensions formed on said post'for determining the adjustment of said post with respect to said last mentioned mold supporting member to compensate for the adjustment of said frame with respect to said base in a manner to propon said post for indicating the occlusal plane of said dentures, co-operating graduations of predetermined dimensions formed on said guide members and said frame respectively for ascertaining the amount of movement of said frame with respect to said base, and graduations of like dimensions formed on said post for determining the amount of movement of said post with respect to said how,

and for determining the relative movement of said pointer with respect to said post ina manner to position said pointerin the proper occlusal plane of said dentures when said frame and mold supporting bow are adjusted with respect to said base and mold supporting arms.

In testimony whereof 'I have signed mv day of September, A, D. 1923.

D. STANLEY HILL. 

